Need the name of a kid's book ASAP

[Jonathan_Chance]

Lady Chance needs to find a book she read once for her girl scout troop.

Girl wants a new doll. Her mom says she can’t afford one.
Give her an old doll. Girl hates doll but eventually fixes it up and comes to love it.

I told her if anyone could it would be you people.

Anyone got any clues?

[pancakes3]

i know EXACTLY what you’re talking about. i wanted to reply earlier but i had to make sure i was remembering right.

Elizabeth

is the book your missus is looking for.

Elizabeth by Lissel Moak Skorpen

[choie]

Great find, pancakes3. Here’s more of a description from the wonderful site Loganberry Books:

“Kate wanted a doll for Christmas - a golden-haired walking, talking doll. But under the tree she found instead a ‘soft cloth doll with warm brown eyes and thick brown braids’ like hers. ‘What does it do?’ asked Kate. ‘Everything a doll’s supposed to do.’ her mother said. Kate was bitterly disappointed, especially when her priggish cousin Agnes came with her stiffly curled, dressy new doll. After the holiday, Kate gave her nameless doll to James the collie to chew; then smitten with remorse she quickly retrieved her and in a flash of sudden love named her Elizabeth. Now the doll became her silent, perfect companion - understanding, patient, faithful. ‘Elizabeth could do everything.’” (HB Dec/70 p.605)

The description also reminded me of a very short story from one of my favorite kids’ books, A Treasury of Good Night Stories, compiled by Betsy Minton (1959). “Nice to Be Loved” is a very Toy Story-esque tale of talking toys, including an older rag doll named Patsy Doll who was purchased for last Christmas and is the favored present of little girl Molly. This year, Patsy is disappointed and horrified to find that Molly’s gotten another doll for Christmas – a lovely china ballerina – who seems to usurp Patsy’s place in little Molly’s heart.

Anyway, this isn’t the OP’s story but I do love the genre. I was waaaay too attached to my stuffed animals and dolls and always adored (and empathized) with stories like this.

[Arnold_Winkelried]

Olivia and the Missing Toy, while not being the story that the OP is looking for, is another good story about a child losing their favourite doll, then finding it and repairing it.